208 AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 



experiment station it was shown that "bees are a necessary aid in pollina- 

 tion with the French and Imperial varieties of prunes." It was proven that 

 practically no fruit was produced when all pollen-carrying insects were 

 kept from visiting the blossoms. (Bulletin 291, California Experiment Sta- 

 tion). 



It has been shown by numerous experiments that many varieties of 

 fruits, especially of apples and pears, are likely to be unfruitful if deprived 

 of the services of the honeybee as pollen carriers. 



POPLAR, see Tulip-Poplar, also Aspen. 



POPPY (Papaver). 



The garden poppy (Papaver somniferum) is a native of Asia, but is widely 

 cultivated in many countries, including our own. It is the source of opium 

 and morphine, drugs widely used in the practice of medicine. The bright- 

 colored flowers are very attractive to the bees, which seek them in largf 

 numbers and fairly revel in the abundant pollen masses. The pollen se- 

 cured from poppy blossoms is very dark. It is probable that the plant 

 furnishes some nectar, also, and there are numerous reports to the effect 

 that the bees show evidence of a narcotic when working on this plant. 



The California poppy (Eschscholtzia californlca (Fig. 112) is a common 

 and widely diffused plant in California. It is a gorgeous plant of variable 

 habit, especially abundant in spring, but in some parts of the State may be 

 found in flower at almost any season. Richter lists it as the source of some 

 honey and of large amounts of orange-colored pollen. 



The prickly poppy (Argemone), often called poppy thistle, is widely 

 distributed, especially in the southwest. It is the source of large quanti- 

 ties of pollen. 



POPPY THISTLE, see Poppy. 

 POSSUM HAW, see Holly. 

 POSSUM-WOOD, see Persimmon. 



PRAIRIE CLOVER (Petalostemon). 



There are several species of prairie clover native to the western 

 prairies from Indiana west to the Rocky Mountains and south to Texas. 

 There are frequent reports to the effect that they are valuable honey 

 plants, though no longer sufificiently plentiful to be important except in a' 



few localities. 



PRICKLY ASH (Xanthoxylum Clava-Herculis). TOOTHACHE-TREE. 



The prickly ash or toothache-tree is found from North Carolina to 

 Florida and west to Texas. It is a small tree with the bark armed with 

 short, warty thorns, while the branches have longer ones. 



In east Texas it is frequently mentioned as a source of honey. The 

 honey is reported as pungent in taste, sharp and peppery and light in 

 color. The blossoms yield freely, and, where sufficiently abundant, may be 

 expected to yield surplus. At Palestine, Texas, surplus is reported from 

 prickly ash. (See also Colima), 



